Positive lock for hand propelled vehicles for public hire



Patented May 25, 1954 POSITIVE LOOK FOR HAND PRGPELLED VEHICLES FOR PUBLIC HIRE Robert A. Watson, University City, and George E. Riemann, St. Louis, Mo.

Application January 29, 1951, Serial No. 208,386

3 Claims. 1

This invention pertains to hand propelled vehicles for public hire, and more particularly to time-controlled, coin activated vehicles and the controlling mechanism therefor. In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle carries a spring powered coin controlled meter controlling the permissive operation and period thereof, of the vehicle.

The subject device is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efiicient in its operation, readily and easily operated, and inexpensive to manufacture, install, and maintain. It has a particular utility as a hand propelled. vehicle such as a baggage push cart for use in transportation terminals. These vehicles will afford railroad, bus and airline passengers a safe, convenient, virtually effortless and economical means of moving baggage between various parts of the terminals.

The invention objectively consists of an automatic wheel arresting device mounted on a vehicle frame to provide and limit a period of permissive vehicle use. This wheel-stopping agency is controlled by a coin-activated timer with provisions for retracting the wheel arresting member from the wheel when a coin is inserted, and alternately, when the predetermined time period has elapsed the timer acts with related elements to arrest the wheel and to prevent use of the baggage cart until another coin is inserted.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description progresses, and by ref-- erence to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the baggage vehicle showing the timer-controlled wheel-locking device assembled thereon;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view, partly in section, of the vehicle and wheel locking mechanism as seen in staggered planes identified with line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of a coin controlled timer or clock mechanism as seen in a plane taken along line i-4 of Fig. l.

The novel coin-operated timer-controlled wheel locking device has particular utility when assembled on a manually propelled vehicle, such as a baggage cart, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, but is susceptible of other fields of application. The frame of the vehicle may be constructed of either solid or tubular rod stock mate rial. The outer portion Iii of the vertical and horizontal framework of the vehicle is preferably of one piece construction and designed so as to form a right angle when viewed from the side as in Fig. l. A vertical bar member I I is secured to the center of the horizontal handle bar I2 of the vertical frame, and extends downwardly thence horizontally in the same manner as the outer framework elements Ill of the vehicle, and is secured to a cross bar I 3 of the horizontal frame overlying the rear axle I4. There are provided a plurality of cross bar members I 5 secured to both the horizontal and vertical frames, giving rigidity to the vehicle and supporting the baggage conveyed thereon.

The front wheels IE5 of the baggage cart are preferably mounted to have a castoring action, as through a swivel connection IEA, to facilitate guiding the vehicle, but the rear wheels I! are kept in a strict forward alignment by the axle I4. In connection with the agencies disclosed for blocking the wheels, or one thereof, one of the rear wheels I 'I is provided with one or more locking apertures I 9 to accommodate the locking bar I8. A symmetrical wheel appearance is maintained by utilizing a series of circular openings I9 evenly spaced about the axis of rotation.

In the timing device disclosed, there is provided a coin receiver identified with a coin slot 20. A slug reiector 2i, and a timer or clock mechanism 22 are contained in a housing 23 secured to the back of the vertical frame. A knob with indicator 24 on the face of the clock, is or may be attached to the main winding shaft 25 of the timer mechanism, the indicator designating the remaining period of permissive use as currently designated by the calibrated dial face 26.

A right angle member 21 is secured to the lower edge of the clock housing, the flange portion thereof mating with the flange portion of a second right angle member 28 secured to the middle bar II of the vertical frame. An ordinary pad lock 29, for example, is inserted through registering openings in the flanges thereby enabling the housing 23 to be removed from the cart, and disassembled if desired, so that coins may be removed or any needed service attention given the timer.

A. gear 30 is secured to the internal portion of the main winding shaft 25 of the escapement mechanism, and operatively engages a rack portion 3I of a downwardly extending reciprocal rod An idler roller 33 is secured to the interior of the housing on a horizontal line with. the winding shaft 25, and serves to position the rack on rod 32 in meshing relation to the pinion 36 by rolling engagement with the rod margin opposite the rack portion 3 I. The rod 32 is further guided Q18, and is positioned l 38, these latter 1:-

, ing the inner right wall illustrated in thereby imparting the spring loading to parent, but it may be that, with the vehicles ing dire by a strap element 33A overlying the upper end of the rod, and which, even though the rack 35 be disengaged from the gear 36, will act, upon upward movement of the rod, to assure re-zneshfing of the rack and pinion. The extending rod 32 is pivotally connected to one arm 3A of an off- :set L lever or bell crank assembly including a rock shaft journalled in a holding bracket or :bearing arm 35, secured to the cross bar member I3 overlying the rear axle M of the vehicle. This lever arrangement permits the locking bar l8 to operate horizontally in a plane containing the :axis of the rear wheels. The other arm 36 of the lbell-crank lever projects into a compatible slot 31 formed in the inner end portion of the locking bar l8.

A bearing arm or hanger in the form of a channel 38, is bolted to the same cross bar member 3, and employed to guide and steed, the loci;-

ing bar 58, and to isolate from other parts of the mechanism any shearing force might otherwise misalign or other elements in co it, were attempted push he vehicle when locked.

A. cell 5% is on the loclaingl tween the downwa extending elements of the channe apertured to The opposite end the spring abuts o'cular disc ll secured to the locking "H3 at times when it is to be extended into one of the circular wheel openings lb.

The operation of he vehicle, timer and control features is thought to have become fully apnoted for cczn cool in aclvar. I locations about the transportation terminals, the traveler may select a cart, and deposit specified coin in the coin slot If the coin isgenuine and hence bypasses t e slug rejector, the knob and indicator op, .vcly interconnecting the its escapement mechanism of the time clock. can then be turned in the indicated dire As the knob is rotated, the gear 3 scour e. to the main winding shaft enga es the rack portion 39 of the rod and if the rack and pinion to be en. mesh, the rod to an elevated position.

In doing so, the rod actuates the bell crank and roclrshait lever counterclockwise direction 3). lever engaging the locking bar it, retracts from the wheel are, permitting the vehicle to be used for the designated period of time, As the reznainthe gear 3f! lowers the extending rod slowly until the time period of permissive expired. It preferred that, at the conclusion of the period of hire, the portion 3i fully clear the pinion, releasing the spring lit to force the bar ill with a snap action into arresting with the wheel. In case the rack ill clears the pinion as preferred, the rod 32 is, at the of usage, lifted sligl' so as again to me piece Alli may be util the timer through and to reset the bar I8. fixed stop 36 will limit the upward movement of rod its downward movement limited by Washer 4H.

The coil spring as may if desired, be used not only to extend the bar into locking position, but

ion. The control to wind may serve a dual capacity in being utilized also as the power spring for the clock mechanism, it being understood that the escapement is powered in well known manner from shaft 25. Since the escapement is or may be conventional, it is not illustrated other than by legend.

The described timer-contro1led, coin activated baggage vehicle presents a convenient and economical service to travelers in lieu of the prevailing porter service, and will be particularly desir able to those persons having numerous items of baggage; prevailing porter regulations require a minimum cl :go for each baggage unit.

' While there has been disclosed only a single referred form. of the invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the intended scope of the claims hereunto appended.

W e claim as our invention:

1. Li a hand-propelled baggage push cart for public hire for a limited. period, a horisontalbaggage-supporting deck, a ver 'ical frame attached to and extending upwardly from one end of the deck, a pair of road wheels under one end'of the deck and operating on, fixed least one castored wheel forwardly of the first said wheels, a timer device of predetermined-interva1 type supported on upper rear portion of said vertical frame, coin handling mechanism related. to 1; 1e timer for activation thereof incident to deposit of a coin, the timer including a shaft rotatable at a predetermined rate in response to normal timer action, a gear on shaft. a rod extended. from the timer, a connected to said rod and normally engaging said gear, a rock shaft carried by a lower portion of the vehicle frame, a bell crank lever on the rock shaftcne arm of lever being connected to same):- tended rod, .2. horizontally movable plunger located to be reciprocally moved into and out of blocking relation to one of the first-said wheels of the vehicle at a point considerably spaced from the hub of said wheel, a second arr-1 of the bell crank lever being operatively connected to said plunger, a spring coasting with the plunger and tending to same into wheci hlocking position, and a plunger guide and bearing structure in which the plungeris iournalled at substantially spaced points, said. guide and bearingstructure icing carried by the frame the vehicle, and relate-d to the plunger so as to constrainsarne to rectilinear path of movement under all con ditions, the spring being supported by the plunger and substantially in said guide and bearing structure, a guide for constraining said extended rod to a substantially linear path of movement, a. manually actuated member for moving said extended rod in one direction, and means on the timer for indicating currently remaining permissive period of usage of the vehicle, following activation of the timer, as by deposit of a coin.

2. a hand-propelled baggage push cart for public hire for limited period, including a horizontal baggage-supporting deck, a vertical frame attached, to and extending upwar'ly fronrone end or the deck, a pair of road wheels under one end of th deck: and operating on fixed axes, and at leastone wheel forwardly of the first said wheels, the combination with a timer device of predetcrmined-interval type supported on an upper rear portion of said vertical frame,-the timer including a shaft rotatable at a prede termined rate in response to normal timer actionv a gear on said shaft and rotatable therewith, a rod extended from the timer, a rack carriedby said rod and normally engaging said gear, a rock shaft carried by a lower portion of the vehicle frame, a bell crank lever on the rock shaft, one arm of said lever being connected to said extended rod, a horizontally movable plunger located to be reciprocally moved into and out of blocking relation to one of the first said wheels of the vehicle, a second arm of the bell crank lever being operatively connected to said plunger, a spring coacting with the plunger and tending to bias same into wheellocking position, a plunger guide and bearing structure in which the plunger is journalled at substantially spaced points, said guide and bearing structure being carried by the frame of the vehicle, and related to the plunger so as to constrain same to a reetilinear path of movement under all conditions, the spring being supported by the plunger and substantially in said guide and bearing structure, a guide for constraining said extended rod to a substantially linear path of movement, the rack being operatively disengaged from said gear at the end of the predetermined interval .as determined by said timer, said spring being adapted to cause an accelerated wheel-arresting action of said plunger upon disengagement of said rack from said gear, a manually actuated member connected to the extended rod for moving said extended rod in one direction, and for operatively re-engaging said rack to said gear, and means on the timer for indicating a currently remaining permissive period of usage of the push cart, following activation of the timer.

3. In a hand-propelled baggage push cart for public hire for a limited period, including a horizontal baggage-supporting deck, a vertical frame attached to and extending upwardly from one end of the deck, a pair of road wheels under one end of the deck and operating on fixed axes, and at least one castored wheel forwardly of the first said wheels, the combination with a timer device of predetermined-interval type supported on an upper rear portion of said vertical frame, the timer including a shaft rotatable at a predetermined rate in response to normal timer action, a gear on said shaft and rotatable therewith, a rod extended from the timer, a rack carried by said rod and normally engaging said gear, said gear normally driving the rack and hence the rod in response to the normal timer action, a rock shaft carried by a lower portion of the vehicle frame, a bell crank lever on the rock shaft, one arm of said lever being connected to said extended rod. a horizontally movable plunger located to be reciprocally moved into and out of blocking relation to one of the first said wheels of the vehicle at a point considerably spaced outwardly from the hub of said wheel, a second arm of the bell crank lever being operatively connected to said plunger, a spring coacting with the plunger and tending to bias same into wheel-locking position, a plunger guide and bearing structure in which the plunger is journalled at substantially spaced points, said guide and bearing structure being carried by the frame of the vehicle, and related to the plunger so as to constrain same to a rectilinear path of movement under all conditions, the spring being supported by the plunger and substantially in said guide and bearing structure, a guide for constraining said extended rod to a substantially linear path of movement, the rack being operatively disengaged from said gear at the end of the predetermined interval as determined by said timer, means for retaining the rack adjacent the gear after disengagement of said rack and gear, said spring being adapted to cause an accelerated wheel-arresting action of said plunger upon disengagement of said rack from said gear, the spring also being utilized as the power spring for the timer, a manually actuated member connected to the extended rod for moving said extended rod in one direction, and for operatively re-engaging said rack to said gear, and means on the timer for indicating a currently remaining permissive period of usage of the push cart, following activation of the timer.

References Cited in the tile 01 this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 422,245 Miller et a1 Feb. 25, 1890 698,335 Strauss Apr. 22, 1902 1,141,100 Braun June 1, 1915 1,196,724 Sherman et a1 Oct. 17, 1916 1,331,513 Lindberg Feb. 24, 1920 1,651,377 Custer Dec. 6, 1927 2,106,042 stark Jan. 18, 1938 2,139,523 Smith Dec. 6, 1938 2,152,903 Mastini Apr. 4, 1939 2,198,058 Mobeck Apr. 23, 1940 2,552,675 Hauflaire May 15, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,180 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1909 

